As educators, we’ve navigated the shift from chalkboards to smartboards, from calculators to laptops. But the change barreling towards us now is different. It’s not just a new tool; it’s a new kind of actor in the learning process. I’m talking about AI-powered tools like Google Lens and the emerging class of AI-agent browsers, such as Perplexity’s Comet Browser. These technologies are fundamentally reshaping what it means to “do work” and forcing us to confront a critical reality: we can no longer guarantee the authenticity of any work done outside our direct supervision. As a result, what does this mean for asynchronous online learning and completing graded work outside of traditional in-person classes?
From Helper to Agent: A Fundamental Shift
For years, students have used Google to find information. But tools like Google Lens in it’s current form represent a quantum leap. A student can point their mouse at a complex math problem, and Lens doesn’t just find a similar example: it provides a step-by-step solution instantly. It’s not a research assistant; it’s a homework completer. Just last month on the Canvas LMS forum on Instructure, a teacher showcases this by providing this video of Google Lens in actions.
Now, push that capability further. Imagine an AI agent integrated directly into a web browser. This is the promise of projects like the Comet Browser from Perplexity. A user can give the browser a command like, “Research the primary causes of the Peloponnesian War and write a five-paragraph summary with citations.” The AI agent doesn’t just provide links; it autonomously navigates websites, synthesizes information, and produces the finished product. It performs the entire task on its own. And, it will only get better. Below, this video showcases Comet in action and it’s various use cases.
The other day, I had Comet log directly into a Canvas course I designed as a test student. I asked it complete a few assignments, including a quiz. It did so completely by itself and did not ask for help.
When an AI can complete a task from start to finish with a single prompt, the traditional concept of homework for credit evaporates. As educational leaders and teachers, we can’t afford to ignore this. We must adapt our practices now.
Redefining Assessment: The Classroom as the Arena of Truth
The single most important implication of this technology is that all high-stakes, summative assessment must take place inside the classroom or in a proctored, synchronous environment. Period. Essays, chapter tests, final projects, and performance-based assessments that are meant to provide a final grade on a student’s mastery can no longer be trusted if completed at home. The work submitted might demonstrate the AI’s mastery, not the student’s.
So, what becomes of work done outside of class? It must be treated differently:
- Homework or Outside Quizzes/Tests: Homework, practice problems, and drafts are still valuable, but we must view them with a healthy grain of salt. They are opportunities for practice and exploration, not reliable data points for a gradebook. We can’t know if a student struggled for an hour on a math set or simply used an app to get the answers in minutes.
- Project-Based Learning (PBL): The model for PBL must be split. The research and information-gathering phases can still happen outside of class. Students can leverage AI as a powerful research assistant. However, the creation, synthesis, and assessment portions of the project. The presentation, the in-class essay, the defense of their findings—must happen in the classroom where you can observe the student’s actual skills and understanding.
The Power of “Now”: Synchronous EdTools are Non-Negotiable
If we can’t trust asynchronous work, our most effective instructional tool becomes real-time interaction. This is where synchronous formative assessment becomes essential, especially in online or blended classroom settings during online synchronous sessions. We need a live window into our students’ thinking.
Digital mini-whiteboard tools are no longer a novelty; they are a necessity. EdTech tools like Wayground, Curipod, and Pear Deck allow teachers to pose a question and see every student’s response as they formulate it. You can see the misconceptions, and thought processes in real-time. This live, authentic data is infinitely more valuable than a “perfect” homework assignment that may have been completed by an AI. It allows for immediate feedback and targeted re-teaching. This is the core of effective teaching.
A Question for the Future: The Value of Asynchronous Learning
This shift brings us to a difficult question, particularly for adult and higher education: What is the long-term value of a fully asynchronous class? If an AI agent can watch lecture videos, complete multiple-choice quizzes, and even generate plausible discussion board posts and projects, a student could potentially pass a course with minimal personal engagement.
The enduring value of education in an AI-driven world will be its human element: the dynamic debate in a seminar, the collaborative problem-solving in a lab, and the personalized mentorship from an instructor. The future of learning, and its justification, will lean more heavily on synchronous, interactive experiences that an AI cannot replicate.
Our path forward isn’t to ban these powerful tools. That’s a losing battle. Instead, we must be designers of the learning experiences. The AI agent is here. It’s time we redesign the classroom around it.
Navigating the Present and Future of Education 
Hi Matthew. That is a great article. I am the creator of a free interactive classroom tool for teachers and parents and wondered if you’d be open to including it as a free teaching resource on your site or link insertion? I’d be happy to write a guest post. My wife and I also support our autistic daughter’s education at home.
My free teacher tool is called Random Wheel Spin, a free wheel of names spinner that has the unique feature allowing teachers to store hidden activities, actions, questions, or answers behind each entry which makes learning more interactive and engaging.
For example on the wheel itself you get the wheel “entries”, for example student names, and when a student gets selected a button appears which they can click to show an additional activity or action (or it could be a question or answer about a topic). It makes the whole process of “spin the wheel” two-tiered. It’s fully customizable with images and colors.
It also has benefits for neurodiverse learners by providing predictable structure (even though the result is random) as well as sensory interaction. The wheel can also speak out loud the selected result and hidden activity.
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